Downfall of a Heroine
by Darkwood
Summary: Episode finished! for real 111503. Alternaseason episode.
1. Catastrophe

It's been seven months since she left the SGC, and all that time she's spent in and out of hospital beds. Thankfully Simmons didn't get his hands on her for whatever he would use a prior host for. But that's not the biggest worry, or even a worry that she's had the luxury of considering.

"Jonas, what have you got for us today?" I ask as I sit down in the briefing room. It's never seemed so empty as it does right now, with her gone. I never noticed how the end of the table seems to extend forever into the space of the room, or how…

"Nothing, Colonel, I've got absolutely nothing," the newest member of SG-1 tosses a file folder on the table in exasperation, "The Tok'ra don't have a thing, the Asgard are stumped… I don't know who else we know to ask, Jack."

"Jonas Quinn, it is not helping that you cannot remain calm."

I glance over at Teal'c, it doesn't help that he never seems to loose his calm either. "If we are going to help Major Carter through this difficult time we must all remain cool of head," Teal'c looks directly at me as he says this and I frown slightly. Jonas seems to disregard the look I'm being fed so evenly by our Jaffa comrade.

"Teal'c has a valuable point, gentlemen," Hammond says as he steps out of his office. "I want you all to take some time off for a little while, you're working yourselves into the ground and that isn't good for you, for Major Carter, or for the SGC."

"But General - " Jonas and I begin at the same time.

"No buts, gentlemen, that was an order. You are all dismissed."

I look across the table at Jonas and he sighs, lowering his head and clenching his jaw. He's been taking this really hard, since Carter's symptoms started after she was helping him with figuring out the functions of that device from P3X-684. He blames himself, I know, but I blame myself too.

I get up from the table and turn, heading up to the locker room to change. When Hammond orders us off-base for some down time he means it, and I have no wish to be strong armed to my vehicle by several heavily armed MPs.

After a quick stop at the locker room I step into the elevator, and find myself face to face with Janet. She looks just as worn out and worn down as the rest of us do, and I have a feeling she's blaming herself too.

"So, why hasn't the General ordered you to bed as well, Doc?"

"He did, seventeen hours ago," I just notice the wrinkles in her uniform as she says this, "I just woke up, and now I'm making rounds."

"Doc…" I begin, but she glances at me sharply and I suddenly know better than to try and scold her. "Take a shower first. You smell."

We reach her floor and she gets out without even bothering to dignify my comment with a response. As I pause, waiting on the elevator to get up the remaining twelve floors to the main level, I zone out, staring at the red numbers as they shift.

*

_"Carter, what's your position?"_

"Jonas and I are examining artifacts inside the main cavern, sir."

"O'Neill, what was that noise?"

"Carter, come in… Jonas?"

"Something… came out of the device, Colonel… Sam's down."

Teal'c and I glance at one another and start towards the cave at a swift jog, once we make it in, the room has gone dark and there's only a faint glow, which is coming from Carter's body. She groans as we enter the room and sits up slowly.

"Anyone get the name of that truck…?" her voice wavers a little, but she seems fine, one hand pressed to her forehead.

"Sam…" Jonas begins, voice empty and awe-struck.

"Jonas? What's wrong?" she asks, getting to her feet with a little assistance from Teal'c. She looks around to find all of us staring at her and then she notices it too, looking around for a moment. "What happened to the… lights?"

"That's it, Jonas, pack up that thing, Carter, Teal'c prepare to move out, we're getting back to the SGC, pronto."

*

Sitting in front of the wheel of my car I wonder how I got here and what is going on for a moment, before I remember Hammond's orders. I start up the car, Carter's last waking words replaying in my head.

*

_"There was really nothing else **to** do, sir. It was… an…"_

*

She passed out, again, without even finishing her sentence. I suppose it would be ok, I glance at my watch, I should make visiting hours if I push it, and Hammond never said to get some rest, just to take some time off. I pull out into the traffic and head towards the hospital.

***

"I'm exceedingly sorry, sir, but visiting hours don't begin for another two hours."

I hate nurses, and I hate hospitals. The idea of her in one, being tended by them disturbs me, I guess I much prefer it when she can be released to being watched over at her own home. Every couple weeks her condition seems to stabilize enough to allow her to be released to the care of a nurse on-base or in her own home.

I sigh and sit down, remembering my continuing joke that she'll faint when she wakes up over the medical bills that are waiting for her. I'm certain Hammond, and probably Janet, Jonas, and Teal'c, all know where I've gone. It's not overly hard to guess. I'm more of a regular at the high security hospital she stays in than anyone else. Janet, I'm sure, would like to spend more time here, but she has other duties that require her to spend more time on base than the three-person SG-1.

Hammond hasn't had the heart to reassign someone to the team yet, and I, for one, am hoping that he doesn't for a while. Carter will pull out of this, she's just got to give me a good scare so that I appreciate her…

"That won't be necessary, Melissa. Colonel O'Neill can go in to see the major now, if he likes."

I glance up from my empty hands, not having realized that I was slouched and staring so intently at them. The one nurse I've come to accept as not being evil incarnate is standing with a sad sort of smile on her face. Melissa has me sign myself in and then walks off, a disgruntled look on her face.

"You know if I got as much attention from someone as she does from you, I'd be married."

I smile wryly, "I'm just a worried commanding officer, Miss Jones."

"And I'm just a janitor," she mutters, showing me back to Sam's room herself. "I'm certain she knows you come to see her, Colonel."

"Then why doesn't she wake up and say hello?" the comment, and the tone of my voice, are both out of my control. They sound bitter, and selfish. It must be a combination of fatigue and stress. Generally, the longer someone is unconscious, the less hope there is that they will wake up.

Miss Jones doesn't answer, but steps back, holding the door open for me to enter, and lowering her head slightly. I pass her with another heavy sigh and take a chair from near the door to sit next to Sam's bed.

***

I don't know how long I've been sitting here, or when exactly I took her hand, or who came and draped the blanket over my shoulders when I fell asleep, but the voice that wakes me up is clear as day.

"Hammond told me I'd probably find you here, Jack."

"Jacob?"

"Other people care about her too, Jack. Don't be so surprised." He draws up a chair on the other side of the bed and takes a moment to stroke her temple, brushing the hair from her brow, and then takes her hand in a caring manner.

I never really stopped to think of what Jacob Carter was going through, when it all started happening, it happened so fast that I didn't think to contact him right away, and when we finally called up the Tok'ra, Jacob and Selmac were on assignment and couldn't be contacted yet.

"I-"

"No need for words, Jack. I understand."

Slowly, I stand, and offer him the blanket that was draped across me. Outside, the sunlight is fading quickly and as I glance at the clock I notice that I've been in the hospital for seven hours. I can't stay after sundown, it disturbs me to see her at night, when she starts glowing.

"Will you be on Earth long, Jacob?"

"A few days," he responds, taking the blanket and setting it across the arm of his chair. "Why?"

"I'm going to go fishing tomorrow… I think, and I wondered if you might like to join me." Nothing better to do, I guess.

"I think I'd like that, Jack."

"Meet you here tomorrow then… and we'll leave from here."

Jacob nods and I turn just as the last light of day disappears in the mountains, and the faint glow starts again.

***

It's all my fault. When the orb-shaped light left the device, I took a step forward, and Sam caught the orb when she shoved me out of the way of it. If I hadn't moved, it might have just left all of us alone.

Jack keeps telling me that's ridiculous, because no one can keep perfectly still, and one of us would've moved eventually and Sam would've reacted the same way regardless. But that doesn't help me when I wake up in the middle of the night, having had the same dream.

I always step into a dark room, and Sam is there, as she was before, short hair and SGC field uniform on. In the center of the room there is a glowing pillar of light, and a small orb shoots out, straight towards me. I don't have time to react before Sam leaps at me, shoving me out of the way and catching the orb herself before slamming into the wall. Then pillar of light goes dark and Sam starts to glow.

I usually wake up in a cold sweat, on the floor at this point. Janet, and Hammond have both told me that if the dreams change I should tell them, because it might be a clue. I don't think there's much hope left, but I'm just as stubborn as Jack and I won't admit there's no hope for Sam.

The four of us have been through too much to have any of us quit now, to quote Jack, and I believe him. I believe _in_ him. I have to, or I might just fall apart.

I step on the elevator and run straight into Janet on her way somewhere. She looks like she's just come off of some forced down time herself. "Hi Janet."

"Jonas, nice to see you again," she says in a good facsimile of her usual cheeriness. I can see how strained her smile is, though, and know that she's on the edge of it all.

"I was going to get some coffee… want to join me?"

She nods. "I'm not quite ready to start rounds again anyway."

***

Seated at her bedside, the blanket Jack left with me looks more and more enticing every minute. It's also slightly disturbing to look at my little girl when she glows like that. No one told me how she was, other than that she still hadn't woken up but was physically fine. Personally, glowing doesn't constitute 'physically fine' in my book, but then I've got a slightly altered idea of the condition my little girl ought to be in.

Outside, I notice absently, a light snowfall starts. Jack must be crazy to want to go fishing this time of year.

_Not crazy, just distraught, just like you._ Selmac adds.

I have to agree with him, and perhaps it will do Jack some good to get away and not think about the Stargate and Sam for a while.

_He's quite taken with her, you know._

Yes, I am aware how Jack and Sam feel about each other, it just always seems to be the wrong time for the two of them. I pull the blanket around me and settle a little more comfortably in the chair, prepared to spend the night right here.

I can worry about the rest more tomorrow.

***

I open my eyes, and the light stings them a little. My father is slumbering quietly in the chair next to my bed, and the door has just closed behind Jack as he comes in. What's going on?

I open my mouth and sit up a little, slowly, figuring I must be pretty badly off if the two of them are both here and I can't remember what's going on. Immediately, Jack seems to spring to the bedside, and he hollers at dad to wake up.

"Sam? Are you ok? How do you feel?"

I try to speak, but my throat is very dry and it hurts to try.

"Jack, calm down and lay off… she's had a tube down her throat for six months. Call the nurse, and I'll get her some water."

***

It's lunchtime on base when the news comes, Janet, Teal'c, and I were all gathered to talk about plans for Christmas and the winter. The first real snowfall had been the night before, so it made all of us think about what to do about the holidays, with someone we care about in the hospital.

Or at least it made Janet think things like that.

"Will Doctor Janet Cline, Jonas Quinn, and Teal'c please report to the briefing room on level thirty-two, I repeat, will Doctor Cline, Jonas Quinn, and Teal'c please report to the briefing room on level thirty-two."

We left our lunches sitting on the table and moved faster than I'm sure any of us had in months to the briefing room. Hammond stood there, with a pleased smile on his face, and made the announcement to us personally.

Janet was so glad she threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. Teal'c let out a relieved smile of his own, one I hadn't seen since his own son had thrown off Apothis's programming and come back to the truth. Janet then went off to call the hospital, and Cassandra. I smiled widely and asked what had happened.

"No one is exactly sure right now, but this morning Major Carter woke up to say hello to her father and Colonel O'Neill." I withheld my private comment that it was fairly obvious that he would be there when she woke up, being the one to spend the most time in the hospital, and the hardest hit by her condition, if I dared to make a guess at all.

***

I wanted to do a lot of things when she opened her eyes. Hug her, shout, laugh, cry, but I didn't. I just smiled and sat down, taking her hand and waiting for the nurse to come in to check her over. Jacob didn't seem too surprised at my actions, but then he rarely does.

"Looks like we won't be going fishing then, eh Jack?"

"Under the circumstances, I'd have to say no, Jacob, we won't."

The nurse came in and helped Sam sit up properly, removing her air tube and getting her a glass of water to drink slowly before she even tried to talk. "What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us, sweetie," Jacob began, but I stopped him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Weak. Disoriented. About normal, sir."

And there it is, staring me in the face again. No matter how much I care about Sam, how much I love her, she's still my subordinate, and we're still in the SGC, and nothing can ever come of it.

"You're on your sickbed and you still call me that," the words slip out, just like the ones to Miss Jones yesterday. Jacob either ignores them or doesn't hear them, but Sam's blue eyes latch onto mine mercilessly.

A quiet cough from the doorway interrupts whatever she is about to say, and I glance over to see Miss Jones. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you gentlemen to step outside. Major Carter has to have a few tests run and then she'll need to rest some more."

With a sigh, I nod, and glance at Jacob. He likewise nods, but thinks ahead to ask, "When can we come back?"

"Not before tomorrow, I'm afraid. There will be several tests that have to be run."

***

"All in all, sir, no one knows why Major Carter woke up, but she continues to glow after sunset until the sunrise, and even in artificial light she seems to emit a soft glow of light."

The woman in question sits quietly on a bed in the infirmary, waiting for the go or no-go status for SG-1's next mission. "And the device?"

"Completely inactive since it's first production of that orb that Doctor Jackson witnessed hit the Major."

Hammond ponders, and Janet bites her lip.

"So she glows? So what," I pipe up from the corner. "Everyone on this team has their own special quirks. What's one more?"

"Colonel O'Neill, I don't want Major Carter back in the field until we can be assured of her health and the safety of her own person and the entire of SG-1."

"I understand that General, but she _did_ pass the physical inspection. If you're still not convinced, why not send her through a PT test. But keeping her grounded with no reason behind it is unfair, and hinders all of her team." It's been three weeks, and she seems to have made a full recovery. She's still a little thin, a little tired, but otherwise, we should all be getting ready for our next assignment.

"Permission to have her take the PT test as a requirement for SG-1 going active again accepted, Colonel. She has one week to prepare."

"Thank you, sir," I salute.

He leaves the room and Janet shoots a querulous glance at me. I shrug and head down into the infirmary.

"So, what's the good word, sir?"

"Well, other than that you're still a glowing example of an airman, Carter, not much."

She laughs a little, and smiles, "Does this mean I'm back on SG-1?"

"Pending a PT test, we're all gearing up for our next mission."

"PT test, sir?"

"Well Hammond wants to be sure that you're up to it, and the glowing thing isn't some indicator of…"

"Altered physical status or characteristics?" she finishes for me and I shrug, spreading my hands. "I understand. When is the test?"

"It's not today, for sure. You've got a week to prepare, Carter. Until then, the rest of us are on vacation. Unless you'd like some help for any reason."

"Thanks, but I think I can manage, sir."

***

The dreams have changed, and I told Janet and Hammond about them. Now Sam starts glowing and the pillar seems to surround her as she gets off the floor, or what I believe is the floor. I haven't said a word about them to Sam, but she seems to understand that something is bothering me, regardless of what I say.

Janet says that the idea of Sam getting off the floor at all means that the dreams probably are chronicling the events that have happened, rather than predicting what will happen in the future. I'm not quite sure if I believe that or not.

The PT test is tomorrow, and Jack, Teal'c and I have all agreed that we're not going. It's not true, I know we'll all be there to watch, but at least we've all lied together and will break the false promise together.

***

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I head towards the showers. It was nice that the guys all came to give me a little support, but nerve wracking just the same. If I hadn't passed… I refuse to think about it. The shower water is warm and soothing, and I relax. Everyone caring so much is almost more of a burden than a blessing.

There's a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I call, stepping back out of the shower and grabbing a towel. I guess I never realized how tired I was. The fluorescent lighting hurts my eyes as I step out into the locker room.

There is no response, but through the glass of the doorway, I see a figure. "The locker room is designated as women's at the moment… whoever's there…" Fear grips me, irrational. "Please announce yourself." Normally I can conquer such emotions easily… I've been trained to but.

The figure simply stands there, and if they are speaking, I do not hear a word of it.

The lights in the room go out, but I can still see as clearly as day.

I'm glowing… again.

The sun must've gone down outside.

But where are the lights?

The area around me gets brighter, and though I know I am glowing, it does not hurt my eyes. The figure outside the door seems the only thing I can look at, because the brightness in the rest of the room, reflecting, hurts and agitates my eyes.

And then, suddenly, there is a flash of light, and blessed, soothing darkness.

***

The alarms started going off while we were waiting for Carter to get out of the showers. She told us to wait in the mess hall and that she would join us there, but something interrupted that. Jack didn't listen, of course, he said he'd meet us there when she showed up.

I had half a mind to say something about how wrong it was for him to be waiting for her outside the locker rooms, but I didn't. The look on his face suggested caution would be the better part of valor in this circumstance.

Wordlessly, we all moved in a group towards the gate room, thinking that we'd find out the most from there, but we barely made it halfway there before Janet pushed past us in the hallway. "Janet, what's going on?" I call out.

"It's Sam," she calls over her shoulder, and after a moment of stunned silence, the two of us take off after her.

"What's happened?" I say as we catch up with her, and follow her to the locker room on level 20. We're obviously the first people to respond to the alert.

The door is open, and from what I can make out, the lighting fixtures ripped out of the ceiling… the wiring is open and fried. Sam is on the floor, unconscious, and untouched. The towel she wrapped herself in is a little disheveled, and as Janet kneels to check her over, I find myself averting my gaze.

"The power warning went off first, there was an overload in the sector…" Janet checks her pulse. Sam is glowing brightly again, in that disturbing manner that she has when the sun goes down… and it's about that time. "…the medical alert was raised shortly after that… but I don't know who called it in."

I look around.

Jack obviously wasn't the one.

He arrives with the stretcher, looking breathless and pale. He obviously heard from someone along the way. He glances at Sam's body, Janet's expression, and I see something in his normally formal expression crack. No hiding it anymore.

"Let's get her on the… Colonel!" Janet snaps as he scoops her up easily and lays her on the stretcher. "Leave tending the Major to the trained-"

"Bark at me later, doc," he says in an uncaring and broken voice, "help her."

And that stops all the talking between them, though Janet takes a good moment to glare at him, much like an unhappy cat that has just gotten wet. Jack steps back to stand next to Teal'c, who puts a hand on his shoulder, and the professionals do their job.

***

"I don't know what to say, General," Janet says in a confidential meeting with Hammond much later, from the observation level of the infirmary.

"What do you mean, Doctor?"

"Physically, Major Carter is in top condition, given the circumstances. You saw as well as I did the reports on her PT test… she's fit to go back out into the field…"

"But."

"But given the circumstances, I'm afraid I just can't sign off on sending her back into the field," Janet stares hard at the image through the glass. The rest of SG-1 is in the room, the three men watching over her like protective wolves, sentinels…

"I see," is all Hammond responds with. "Then we'll simply have to have someone reassigned."

"Colonel O'Neill will never agree to that, General…" Janet begins.

"The Colonel, given the circumstances, will have no choice, Doctor. I'm considering having the entire unit taken off active duty until the problem is resolved, one way or another."

"Are you sure that's wise, sir?"

"I don't know what else to do," Hammond says quietly.

"I may be of some assistance," a new voice says from behind the two of them.

"Daniel!" Janet says, turning in a startled manner.

***

Teal'c and Jonas have retreated from the room. Janet assured me that she's in no pain, but I just don't know how I can accept that. If she weren't in any pain, she'd wake up, right? She'd say hello and get out of that bed…

And she wouldn't be glowing like that.

"You're going to have to let it run it's course, Jack."

"You're not helping, Daniel," I reply, running my hands through my regulation short hair. "Why'd you show up?" He doesn't respond. I stand from the seat I had taken when the others left. "No. Don't you do this to me Daniel, not now. Don't you come here to tell me that she's gone… she's not going to ascend like you did!"

"Calm down Jack. Every time I show up it doesn't mean that someone's going to die…" he pauses, as though considering that, "although I can understand why you might say something along those lines, since it's what seems to happen… but I didn't come for that purpose, this time."

"Yeah, well then what did you come for, Daniel?" I glance up at the observation level before taking her hand. It's empty. It's safe.

"I'm here to help, Jack."

"I don't know that I want your help, Daniel," I reply, glancing down at her. It's hard to look at her when she's glowing like that.

"Well you should, Jack… I think I can save her."


	2. Savior?

Those were the last words I ever expected to hear out of Daniel's mouth, but given his track record of non-involvement, I simply sat back down. "And the others, Daniel? What will they say about you helping her?"

His smile tightens and he turns to pace a few steps. "I'm going to show you the way, Jack."

"Bullshit, Daniel!"

*

The briefing room is filled with stony faces. Teal'c, seated beside Jack, is the only impassive one. It must be hard for he and Jonas to believe I can really be who I am, since I'm supposedly dead and all. Jack explained, I'm sure, but only… Sam… would really have been able to do it properly.

"Doctor Jackson…" Hammond begins.

"Daniel, now, sir."

"Daniel," he begins again, looking mildly disturbed, "from what Colonel O'Neill says, you've offered to help save Major Carter's life… but I thought that was prohibited, given your change in position."

"It is, General, if I directly involve myself in the cure."

"So there is a cure?" Janet asks, speaking up for the first time since I've seen her. She had a troubled look on her face since the moment she stepped into the briefing room and saw me here.

"Not so much a cure as a way to block the affects of the infection you've all recently seen."

"Infection?" Jonas sits up, looking evenly at me. "You mean that whatever hit Major Carter infected her with something?"

"Yes and no, Jonas. The device was aiming itself at you, and if it had hit you it probably wouldn't have had the same affects, but because of S-" Catching the dark look that Jack is throwing at me, I amend my speech, "Major Carter's… particular makeup, it caused an infection, the symptoms of which you've all noticed first hand."

"Luminescence of the skin, and an apparent control over electricity?" Janet asks, staring hard at the report in front of her and with skepticism in her voice.

"Exactly."

"So what would it have done if it had hit me, Doctor Jackson?"

Jonas has a valid question, I'm just not quite sure I can see to it to tell him the truth. There is a dead silence in the room for a moment, and then one of the Lieutenants knocks sharply on the door to tell Doctor Fraiser that she's needed down in the infirmary.

"Is Major Carter awake?" Hammond asks, and I can almost see the hope in his eyes. I cast a glance at Jack, who, though he remains seated in his chair in a relaxed position, is obviously chomping at the bit to get down to her.

"Yes, General, she is."

"Meeting adjourned."

*

As soon as Janet is on her feet, I'm right beside her, and for once it appears that she doesn't resent my presence. I recall Jacob's words to me. 'There are other people who care about her, Jack.' Perhaps Janet's also realized that.

In the elevator, I sense Daniel.

"Janet can't see me or hear me right now, Jack."

I don't respond.

"Sam's a friend of mine too, I don't want to sit around and watch her get sicker."

The elevator stops and Janet steps off, without looking back.

"Then why didn't you come when she first got hit with whatever it is she's sick with?" I snap, moving quickly after Janet before the doors close on me.

"I couldn't," Daniel says, and the defeat and sorrow in his voice nearly make me pause and turn to look at him. But I don't. He'll show up when he wants to.

In the quarantine room, which is one of the few private rooms with an observation level, Janet bypasses the armed guard outside her room and steps inside. I follow, but stay back from the bed against the wall, out of the range of the fluorescent lighting.

"How are you feeling, Sam?"

"Confused… Janet what happened?" her voice is shaky. She's scared. Her eyes seek me out and I hold her gaze as long as she lets me.

"You tell me," Janet says, inspecting the machines hooked up to her. "When we all arrived, you were passed out in the locker room on level twenty-nine with all the lighting fixtures strewn around you on the ground… and someone had pulled the medical emergency switch, but we can't tell who."

"That would've been me."

I turn to see Daniel and he is looking at the floor, worrying over his bottom lip. "Daniel? That was… you?"

"What was me?" he seems confused.

"While I was in the locker room… I heard a noise… and then I started to glow brightly… there was a person, I think it was a man outside the door, and he was the only thing that didn't seem to be picking up the glow of the light…"

Daniel doesn't respond.

Janet doesn't look at Daniel, but comforts Sam instead. "Colonel, would you mind explaining to Sam what Daniel's proposing? I've got… other rounds to make."

"Sure thing, Doc."

There's a moment of silence between Daniel and me, and then Daniel vanishes. Jack steps over to the bed and pulls a chair up. "How're you feeling?" he asks gently, taking my hand.

I glance up at the observation deck, but it's blissfully empty, and so I let him take my hand. It's reassuring that he's here, the warmth of his hand in mine is like a lifeline, and I know it's irrational, but I feel a little better just having him here.

"About like what I can only imagine someone who's got a case of night-light syndrome should feel like sir."

He laughs, and it's pathetic and scary to hear the sound come out of him. "Still got that sense of humor, I see."

"What is it that Janet wants you to explain, sir?"

"Oh, just the general state of affairs, Major. It seems I've been elected to tell you what's going on with… your health. It seems that you're sick, Carter."

"Understatements are apparently still your strong suit, sir."

He rubs his temples as though agitated and then continues. "According to Daniel you've got some sort of infection, Carter, one that's causing your… glowing thing… and one that's responsible for the episode you had in the locker room."

"I see."

"Actually, Carter you don't, and neither do I, but according to Daniel whatever hit you in that cave…"

"Temple."

"Whatever. The point is, Carter, that you're going to get worse, unless we manage to do something about it."

"Like Cassie."

"Without the telekinetic powers, but essentially, yes."

Daniel. He disregards our clasped hands, and paces, arms folded. "How much worse?"

"From what information I've gathered, Sam, your body will continue to experience these sorts of 'bursts'. The energy will continue to try and use your body as an outlet in order to be released…"

"And eventually kill me."

He squeezes my hand tightly and I feel my heartbeat speed up. It hurts to be like this. So tied to him and bound to be kept away from him. "But," Jack's voice is reluctant, and as I turn my eyes to his he appears pained as he stares down at me as hard as he's ever done. "Daniel thinks he can get you a cure."

I turn to Daniel.

"I can't get it for you Sam, but I can show the four of you how to get to it… if that makes sense."

"Perfect sense Daniel," I respond, tightening my grip on Jack's hand in response to his obvious distress. "You're still bound to not involve yourself in the affairs of the humans, right?"

Daniel smiles a little, relieved. Jack scowls.

"So when do we leave?"

***

"You know that's what I love about Sam, Jack."

"What?" I reply, stalking forward at double time to try and leave him behind, but he pops up in front of me.

"She was always a faster thinker than you. And she's always had a more open mind." He's wearing a smug smile and I glare at him.

"You know Daniel you don't have to rub it in that Carter's smarter than me, it's already been established hundreds of times."

"You're a lucky man, Jack." Daniel's eyes are even as he looks at me, without malice and unnervingly accepting.

"Lucky?" I almost stutter with that word.

Daniel doesn't respond.


	3. Black Sand

"SG-1, you have a go," Hammond says into the microphone from the computer terminal room above the gate. The six-member team of SG-1 nods, and Colonel O'Neill starts up the grated ramp towards the wormhole and the stargate.

"Are you sure it's wise to send Major Carter out in the field?" Janet asks him, worried eyes following the major's progress up the exit ramp.

"What would you have me do, doctor? Keeping her here makes her a liability to the base and the systems functioning on the inside. Anywhere on the planet with electricity will be the same. She's as safe where she's going with the company she's keeping on this mission as we can make her here."

"Sir, I'm just not quite sure what releasing Major Carter into the open with that sort of channeling capacity will-"

"I've heard enough, Doctor. Major Carter is doing what is best for her at the current moment, even you yourself agreed to this mode of treatment."

"Yes, sir, but I didn't agree to sending her into the field in order to-"

"I have confidence that Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson will be enough to take care of her. With the added support of Jonas Quinn and Teal'c, there are no safer hands in the wide universe that I would entrust her to."

"Yes, sir."

Janet turns her head away. She hadn't exactly been happy with Daniel's ultimatum of a cure for Sam, by a long shot. The idea of leaving Sam alone on the planet until it was 'safe' for her to return was something that bothered Janet beyond all belief. Without a trained medical examiner, how would Daniel be sure that it was, indeed, safe for Sam to return to the SGC?

Heading out of the command room, she shakes her head. Neither Daniel nor General Hammond had fel it prudent to inform Colonel O'Neill of the full gravity of the situation, or the treatment being proposed. She can only imagine what his reaction will be.

* 

On the other side of the gate the planet we've come to is bare. For as far as the eye can see is a black desert. Daniel appears standing next to us, and I turn to ask him just what the hell is going on when Carter passes out again.

"Carter!" I shout, diving forward to grab her, but find that Jonas beat me to it.

"Major!" he calls out, and I glare at Daniel.

"You'll want to have Lieutenant Commander Samson and Jonas Quinn carry her, Jack, you're in for a long walk," Daniel says, almost offhandedly, and starts forward.

"I want answers, Daniel!" I snap. I can't believe this. Leave it to Daniel and his high and mighty ascension to leave out a bunch of little details that would have been good to know. "You could have at least mentioned this beforehand… we could've brought a stretcher, or something…"

"And you'll get them, as soon as we get to cover. There's a few indigenous life forms that like to feed on things that stay out in the open after dark, and if we don't get moving, you'll all be out here in the dark."

"Perhaps it is best to simply go along with Daniel Jackson's suggestion, O'Neill."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

* 

The sun is setting. Carter's glowing again, but not nearly as brightly as she did on earth. She hasn't woken up yet, either. Daniel Jackson lead us to a temple, and we're standing at the base of the front steps. It appears to be of some combined origin, from what I can make out.

"Well don't just stand there," Daniel says with a frown, "let's get Major Carter inside before you all get eaten by the large reptilian sand creature that inhabits the desert."

Jack's chomping at the bit, has been since we started this little caravan through the black desert. Teal'c appears as unaffected as always. As we reach the top of the staircase we come upon an open aired platform that's sheltered overhead. The view upwards is as dark as the sand, and the night outside the temple, and so it appears just another part of the endless sky around us. The moment that we carry Major Carter through the doorway arch, the entire room seems to reflect the glow coming off of her. Daniel directs us to lay her body on an oblong pedestal in the center of the room and as we do so the lights come up completely.

"Set up a perimeter around the temple," Colonel O'Neill orders, facing off with Daniel Jackson. Wordlessly, I nudge Teal'c, and he, Samson and I head out, leaving the two of them alone.

* 

"Now Jack," I begin, but his glare melts away as soon as the other three are out of range, and he ignores me and steps forward to inspect Carter, rearranging her body slightly on the pedestal. "She's asleep, Jack… she can't…"

"I'm only going along with this because she hasn't gotten worse since we got here," he says, not looking at me. His entire focus is on her, and I envy him that luxury. In the back of my mind, I see Sha're's face smiling at me.

"Jack if you care so much about her, why don't you tell her?"

"She knows," he says softly, "and you know I can't." He brushes her hair from her forehead, and oddly, it doesn't appear that he's disturbed by the glowing of her skin. That's probably for the best. "She's one of my subordinates, Daniel."

"She's more than just your subordinate, Jack, and we both know it."

"Ah!" He looks up at me, lifting a hand to point at me. "That's right, _we_ do, and no one else is going to hear a word of it, right?"

"Jack she's going to have to stay in this temple for a while."

"I didn't hear you correctly, Daniel."

"No, actually you did." His hand strays to his weapon, and there's fire in his eyes. "In order to save her, you have to have faith, Jack."

"I had faith, Daniel. I had faith for a long time."

"You have to trust, Jack. After all you've seen can't you just believe for once?"

"No, Daniel do not start this with me! Not this time, and not now!" He paces away from the pedestal, waving a hand in the air. "I want to know what this miracle cure of yours is, and I want to know it all, right now because so far, all I've seen is a big empty planet covered in black sand."

"The electrical properties of which I'm sure Sam will be more than happy to make known to you as soon as she wakes up."

"When will that be?"

I shrug. I wasn't told how long it would take for the planet's nature to balance out the infection's affects on Carter's body. I was told what would happen, and that she would wake up once her system was balanced. In truth the Naquada in her blood is the only thing that saved her from the infection completely breaking down the charge in her body. "Could be ten minutes… could be ten days."

"Daniel." He composes himself, and then throws his hat at me. "While I would be content to stay here and wait for her to wake up for the rest of my life, I somehow don't think that General Hammond will be quite as happy to have the entire team stick around."

"Well that's why we're leaving her here, Jack."

"What?" Jack snaps, and I wince. His temper, again.

"I'll be staying until she wakes up. Hammond and I already discussed it."

"Did you think about discussing it, with her?"

"Discussing what with me?"

I turn, surprised. She's talking, I think, but as the two of us turn to look at her, her body is still laying on the pedestal and her eyes are closed.

"Carter?" Jack calls out, a little disturbed, to say the least.

"Sam?"

"I can hear the two of you just fine… what is it you had to discuss with me?"

"Carter, where are you?"

There's not response for a long moment. "I… don't know, sir."

"Sam… how do you feel?"

"Actually, Daniel, I sort of don't. I guess, if I had to describe it, I'd say that I just feel… cold."

"Are you aware of your body at all?" Jack is glaring daggers at me.

"Only that it's laying flat."

He steps over and takes her hand.

"Sir?" she asks.

* 

"Well it's obvious that she's still in possession of the body…" Daniel trails off.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" I snap, feeling Carter's limp hand in my own. It's taking every ounce of restraint I have not to scoop her up and make the trek back to the stargate right now. Damn Daniel's cure to hell.

She's talking without her body. And that doesn't make me think she's going to be waking up and walking back to the SGC any time soon.

"The temple, and the stone on this planet have certain specific properties that will counteract the infection in Sam's body."

"Quartz," her voice echoes from around us.

"Exactly," Daniel says with a faint grin.

It's annoying. Her explanations I can at least pretend to follow, when the two of them start nodding and doing that telepathic nerd thing, I lose all ability to even try comprehending. "Quartz…isn't that what makes watches run?"

"This is an altered form of the same mineral that we have on earth, Jack," Daniel starts to say. Carter cuts him off.

"So instead of just being a good insulator, it channels the electricity out of my body? That would mean that this quartz carries a negative charge, if I'm not mistaken. That would cause the excess charge to be drawn out of my cells and into the temple and the entire planet around us… But Daniel, isn't that dangerous for normal people? I mean, it would indiscriminately draw the charge out of anything that carries a positive charge, so once the charge on me started to diminish it would start to affect the other lower charges in the area…"

"Again, she hits the nail on the head, and that's precisely why you and the rest of SG-1 will be returning through the stargate, Jack."

"I'm not going anywhere without Carter on my six, so put that in your pipe and smoke it, Daniel."

"She won't get well if she doesn't stay, Jack, and if you stay then your body will shut down and you won't be in any condition to do anything."

I narrow my eyes at him, and Daniel gives me an ignorant and innocent expression in response to my quarrying look. "I'd like a moment alone with her."

"Of course."

* 

"So what do you think they're talking about up there that they didn't want us to hear?" I ask Teal'c. In response, I get a blank look. "I was just asking a question."

"Things pass between people that it is not always wise to try and comprehend, Jonas Quinn."

"Well that's an enigmatic response."

"There is no other response to that question."

"Or at least none that you're willing to tell me."

The noise of footsteps on the temple steps comes to us, and I see Jack's face. He doesn't look amused. But his temper is held in check by something, and there is a closed look to his rage. I decide, wisely, not to ask, as he starts to hand out orders.

"Make camp. We'll be moving out in the morning."

"And Major Carter?"

"She's going to stay behind with Daniel until she's better."

There's resignation in his voice, and he doesn't say another word before he turns and walks around the corner of the temple, moving out of sight. I glance at Teal'c, and see that his dark eyes are sympathetic. Whatever's going on, he knows what it is. Whether or not he's willing to tell me and whether or not I need to know it is something else entirely.

I look after Jack, and Teal'c speaks again, "I would not disturb him, if I were you, Jonas Quinn. O'Neill is not in the mood to speak."

"Is he ever?"

"If he is, now is not that time. I do not advise following him at this time. Bodily harm my ensue."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

* 

"Daniel." Her voice is slightly wavering as she calls out my name in the glow of the temple, and I appear beside her body, glancing up at the carvings on the large stone end posts at the corners of the temples main level.

"How did you know I was back?"

"I don't know," she says, and I can picture her pulling her knees up to her chest as she speaks. Sam's voice has always been very expressive, at least to me. Her emotions are always in her voice, and her eyes. Even if Jack hadn't told me today what was between them, I'd have known.

She's told me a million times in her expression. "But you can sense my presence, even when the others cannot."

"Probably just the temple."

"Probably," I can't help but wonder about that.

"Daniel, it won't last. It can't. You have to understand that the effects this temple is having on me are only temporary, there's nothing to be concerned about."

"Yeah, ok. So Sam, when are you and Jack going to get over the regulations?"

"Daniel!" her voice is shocked, and I can't help but smile.

"What?"

"What kind of question is that, Daniel?"

"An impertinent one," Jack says. I turn to look at him. He'd left down the steps, and I hadn't been listening for him to return so swiftly. "Daniel, remember that little chat that we had?"

"Colonel-" her voice starts to interrupt.

"And you, stop calling me that."

"Get angry all you like, _Jack_," she says, and I can picture her narrowing her blue eyes at him, "but don't take it out on Daniel."

"What am I supposed to do, Carter?"

"Stop calling me that!" she snaps in response.

Even I have to wince at that tone of voice, but Jack appears unaffected by the barbed tone, and her anger. Thicker skin than I have. "You're not even conscious, Carter, what do you care?"

"I am perfectly conscious Jack."

"Then open your eyes."

There is silence for a long moment, and then there's a groan from the ceiling around us. "I can't," her voice is defeated, and there would be tears in her eyes if she could control her body. I turn to look at it, lying still on the slab, and see that there are tears in her eyes, running down her cheeks.

I decide, tactfully, to withdraw.

* 

Turning my back on her body, I tilt my head back. "I'm sorry C-"

"If you're going to keep calling me that, just leave." She sounds utterly miserable.

"Look, Sam, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"When we get angry, we both say things that we don't mean. It's happened before," her voice is tired, and I hate to hear that from her. "It doesn't matter."

I turn back to her and take her hand in mine, lifting it from her chest to hold it in my own. "It's hard to do, Sam. I've never asked you to keep this up."

"You wouldn't ask me to, Jack. It's not something you'd ever do. It's not your style to ask me to do much more than my duty."

"And occasionally to be careful."

She laughs a little, but not enough. "Sam…"

"Shh. Just… don't let go."

"How much can you feel?"

"I know what is happening to my body, Jack. I know you have a hold of my hand, I just can't move it back to hold yours."

* 

In the morning, I make sure to be the one to disturb them. Teal'c knows a bit about them, Jonas knows nothing, and there's an unspoken agreement that Samson is to be kept in the dark about it. What I see almost makes me regret having to disturb them, but I can't help it.

He's lying on the slab, one arm pillowing his head and the other wrapped around her waist. His face is as calm as I have ever seen it, and content. "Shh," her voice comes, very softly, in my ears. "Let him sleep a little while longer, Daniel. He's earned it."

"He doesn't sleep very well with an all-echoing voice in the room."

"Even half awake, he's still like that," I murmur, and I see Jack open his eyes and look around confused. I cough once and make sure that he can see me. "It's time for you all to move out, Jack."

"Sure… as soon as my arms start moving again."

"Jack?" her voice is concerned, and I take a step forward. "Tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying, Jack."

"Just a little slow on the uptake, Carter. The whatever charge in me isn't dying out, I'm just getting old." He winces at having to use that name, and then says, "Plus, it was worth it." His voice was low at that line, but then he clears his throat and forcibly sits up. "Besides, Hammond's even older than I am and it's best to let him get his full night's rest."

"The three of you need to leave now, Jack, if you don't, I'm not sure you'll make it back through the gate."

"Yeah yeah Danny, hugging an unresponsive woman all night sure makes me want to stick around."

Sam stays silent, and for once I cannot fathom what her facial reaction would be. Jack gets to his feet and stretches, making his way down the exit of the temple, wordlessly. I glance up at the ceiling and then down at Sam's body and she says, "Go make sure he gets there, Daniel."

"He won't like it."

"He doesn't have to know. And he's proud."

"You think?" I murmur, but follow her request.

* 

The last of O'Neill's returning team steps through the gate, and as I watch he stares at the disengaging wormhole for a long moment. I hate to break up his reverie, but they all have a briefing, and I need to examine them beforehand.

"Colonel… if you'll step towards the infirmary, I'd like to check you over for the symptoms Daniel said you might have upon your return."

"You knew about all of this, didn't you?" his voice is passive, and that's almost as threatening and scary as if he were shouting at me. He knows how to use his voice well. There's strength in it. And courage. Just like the rest of him.

I can see now why Sam cares so much about him.

"Not all of the particulars, no, but the majority of it was told to me." I bow my head slightly and motion for him to head into the hallway. He'll have to go to the locker room and the armory before he can come to the infirmary. "I had to sign off on the mission, since Major Carter is officially-"

"You all enjoy seeing me get upset, I swear," he mutters, offering me a smile. "And this from someone who's supposed to be trying to lengthen my life, not shorten it."

"Colonel-"

"On my way, doc."

He follows the infirmary technician off towards his destination and I hear Jonas Quinn's voice. "He's going to shove his hand through a wall some day over all of this. I just hope I'm not standing between him and the wall."

I give him a sharp look, but he ignores it and continues on his way.


	4. Twiddling Thumbs

Three weeks and still nothing more than the occasional report from Daniel. Jack's starting to get anxious, and the whole base is starting to notice. Teal'c has actually managed to crack a frown, and when I jokingly remark on it to Janet, she gives me a stern look.

"That's nothing to joke about Jonas," her expression is tight.

"You know it's not your fault that you can't cure everything that we come into contact with, Dr. Fraiser."

She gives me a critical look, and then narrows her eyes. "Like you haven't been doing the same thing?" I take half a step back. "Jonas since the day you joined SG-1, what's your goal been? To make up for what happened to Daniel." Her voice is carefully controlled, but I can hear the waiver in it. "Well guess what, you can't!"

I blink, and start to respond, but just as I do, the siren that notifies the base of off-world activation goes off, and we break off our conversation to head to the control room, hopeful that this time it's Daniel and Sam.

But when we reach there, Jack dampens our hopeful spirits.

"Stand down, people. It's just SG-9 returning from P3X-774. We can only hope that for whatever reason the Nox decided to call a meeting, it was worth the time spent."

Outside the glass, the returning team steps down the walkway and heads towards the elevator. The iris closes, and the wormhole on the other side disengages.

"This is ridiculous, someone should just go and check on Captain Carter." I feel Janet and Jack's eyes on me as I speak. "She and Dr. Jackson both said that the negative charge of the planet wouldn't affect a normal person if they weren't exposed for too long."

"No one is authorized to return to the planet until I'm given some sort of confirmation on Captain Carter's well being." The new voice belongs to General Hammond. "And as of right now, Doctor Jackson is six hours late in making his scheduled report."

"Why report when there's nothing to say?" Jack has turned his back on the group. I almost don't catch his sentence, and it brings a frown to my face to hear him say it.

I start to respond when another new voice interrupts the mood of the room.

"On the contrary. I was just getting Sam to the gate. She's ready to come home."

"What?" Jack snaps around. Eyes wide and muscles tense.

"Like I said, Jack," Daniel turns to regard him with an even gaze, "she's on her way home."

As usual, it feels like there's something that I'm just not catching on to.

Standing expectantly as we wait for the identification code to come through the iris, I can feel Jonas' eyes on me. Teal'c's presence on my other side is all that's keeping me from fidgeting. I started to contact Jacob to let him know of the change in her condition, but I want confirmation first.

If that damned planet hurt her… I will find a way to put a hole through Daniel's ascended head that he can't get up from.

The noise of the wormhole establishing brings me back to the present, and I glance across the open space at Janet, finding her unable to control her own anxiety. She looks worse than normal, as though she hasn't slept in a few days.

With all the teams currently on the base, I would think that she would be able to relax a bit. But apparently I'm wrong. The iris slides open and after a pause, the ripples settle on the event horizon.

And in that instant, the glowing light seems to brighten for an instant, before she steps through, making new ripples on the surface of the event horizon. She isn't dressed as she was when we left her, and as she enters, she seems to sigh, as though a weight is lifted from her shoulders, her head turned up to gaze at the gate.

"Sam?" Janet asks, calling her attention back to the group of people waiting on her.

"Yes, Janet?" she replies, turning her blue eyes towards us all, taking in the sight of us waiting with a faint smile. And then she meets my eyes, and her smile fades just enough that I notice it.

"I'd like to look over you in the infirmary, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Sam replies, stepping down the ramp and off the end, glancing at Hammond, who waves her on.

She follows Janet out of the gate room, and for a long moment, the rest of us just stand there, until finally the general calls us back to the tasks at hand. "Enough standing around people, you're being paid to do something."

"Yes, sir," I reply turning to head back to my own office. I've frankly had enough of the infirmary and the medical staff for a good long time. I'll go when I have to.

If Sam…Captain Carter, wants to see me, she knows where I'll be. 


End file.
